Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-11
BELLE OF BAR IIARBOR.

The canoe club was to give reception
and review of the boats. BY telegram
and letter had been summoned To Mount
Desert To take part iii the solemn rites of
the occasion The telegram WAS from the
admiral announcing that | had been
elected a member aud must show up.
Now. | had never even heard there was
such club i'll existence. and probably few
men are more childtike in their Ignorance
of the paddle The letter was from a
Young lady knew well, whose name
had been panied Ia see mentioned IN a
newspaper n the Belle OF Bar Harbor.
II there i, "A being loathe il is a belle.
What rudcnesS have | not suffered from
the pert. into'erahle little girls whose
heads have been turned by that word
What inaultieS have | not been forced 10
smile at because long hair and pretty
nose-or trunl. full Of Worth dresses-or
claque of fem. le relatives. have started
the fashion of ca ling an otherwise harm
less young woman belle,
| knew this belle before, however. and
never found her duh She was a speci-
men of the rich compleNioned women of
Mobile languid on the surface but full of
energy when aroused. After ALL said 10
myself as ] weighed her letter in my
hand. she has done nothing to warrant
the vulgar appellstion, that III be bound;
only. no matter how il may be hidden, the
Mobile rose cannot stitie its perfume. She
has been dubbed belle i'll spite of herself.
Then looking AT the warm words and the
imperative orders that We're cOuched in
her peculiar long slanting characters. |
frl; il would not lie in human nature 10
di>obry.
Bar Harhor was Just the Same-a na-
turc beautiful. solemn and marvellous in
the act uf being cheapened and degraded
by mob of tOwnlings. The huckboards
were toiling mp the steep hills, yachts
were coming and going in the harbor, all
the sophumores from college in North
America were e~Corting misses and
missuses up and down the board walks or
talking nonsense in groups on the broad
piaZZas of the most hideOus of hotels.
surveying these with the jaundiced eyes
Of one who could not join in the game
save for the hricfeSt time. one more or
less in love. | may as well confess. hut
who knew far too much TO trust greatly
to ensouragementS that ought To have
meant everything. ] was aware of ldita at
the top of long flight Of steps talking TO
three BOYS and "A man and managing to
halloo to a fourth. who was huTryinC
down the street Ii looked very much
like a belle. thought. but, signing, |
raised sad hand of greeting all the
same Idita saw me, and like Camilla,
SKINNED downward over the unbending
steps as if she meant 10 fling herself into
my arms.
Glad. so glad you re here" she painted
almost gave you up. Those three won t
believe I'm engaged for the canoe review,
snd that man you passed has gone TO pre-
pare his boat for me. SO you see you are
just in time
But, said !, 1T strikes me that find
you-a belle and bad case of belle. "
No more nonsense! Your canoe, our
canoe, is all prepared and have only half
an hour TO dress"
1t was 10 in the morning. and / sur
veyed her pretty costume with raised
browS.
''Oh. this won't do Now, don't he
silly. Get into your rowing fiannels and
meet me Just here And away she flew
into the hotel with an audacious word or
two right and left at her boyish admirers.
Among them was one who looked very
hard at me. | thought, and puzzled my
blue eyes. look of much older man
when You examined him, thin legs, well
developed shoulders, chin in the air and
the back of the head considerably behind
his hecls-there he is, funny mixture of
strut and deprecatiOn, Of candor and in
sincerity But his glance was sincere, if |
knew anythlnC-siRcere i'll not liking me.
Why not mes OF course, the obvious thing
-. - tHNf
! grumbled to myself. how is il that ldita
who is nice enough TO warrant me in
well in being very much attached 10 her
can support about her such wretched little
idiots As this. That was what could not
understand, and gave the question up as
insOluble.
Walking 10 the meet ventured TO put
il To Idita as gently as possible, at the
same time that | begged that she would
be equally candid. She certainly looked
marveluusly beautiful i'll the little Tam o
Shanter. with tassel Of yellow silk. and
the white flannel dress embroidered i'll the
same manner. The COquette' She had
the pTettiest yellow Chinese clogs on her
feet. and did not mind bit rolling about
little on their small. rounded soles.
Fact is. my dear boy, at place like
Bar Harbor il positively won't do for a
girl To he seen without so'irOody talking
10 her The mothers Keep count and tell
each other whether Kitty. Lucy. tiaria
has three men with her or one, or none:
and somehow the COnsoling words ad-
dressed to the mother whose daughter Is
seen alone do not carry with them the
comforts of Christian consolation. Now,
that young man of whom you speak 50
disrespcctfuily is full Of merit He is
r-r-r-r-r -ricch. TO begin with, and sends me
lovely flowers. Then he knows every
body Then he has tongue tipped with
poison, and everybody fears it. Besides,
he l. Il man of infinite taste-he admires
me-
More than he does me-" said l.
''You don't say So,'' cried Idita. whose
animation at Bar Harbor came to lie as
surprise for in town she was rather Ian
guid. | attributed it /" the bracing
climate. Does it work already: Now,
isn't that nice of him To come To time at
once"
See here, said I, a little savagely, and
stopped 10 face her, have you summoned
me to this goose farm to play me off
against that little gander;''
oh Won suspicious boy She answered.
holding ont her hand. There. forgive
You; kiss it and return 10 your collar.
For yuu are. remember, no less my slave
here than yOu We're last winter in town,
and what say must be done. Hear, obey,
and it will lie well for yUu.
"P>haw, How long are you going to
keep this up: Am | TO see anything OF
you, or are the Tommy Moores and Other
things going 10 surround you in order that
vOur mother shall oe spared the remarks
If her elderly friendss'
ldita walked on faster and threw me
her words over her shoulder.
oh. YOU needn't bother about Inc after
:n-day. Il y"u d"J,t want to did refuse
all engagements for the next few DAYS,
but belle, You know-or perhaps you
don't like the words-well girl with a
fair circle of acquaintance will be able 10
get along all the same"